The Nourished Kitchen Issue: Yogurt-Making, Stewed Strawberries and more

Details: Published on Friday, 05 June 2015 13:00; Written by editor

Offerings, happenings, and know-how of Ashevillage & friends.

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The Art & Science of Fermenting Dairy With Sandor Katz #deliciousdairy #einsteinoffermentation

Last week's Wild Food & Fermentation Workshop with Sandor Katz was a smashing success! So much fantastic fermentation knowledge was shared by the "Einstein of fermentation," along with an abundance of wild food wisdom from our local teaching team. One of our favorite sessions was the art of yogurt-making.

Throughout his presentation, Sandor explained that the process of fermentation itself contributes to the distinctiveness of a dairy product: taste, consistency & shelf life. The focus was on mixing the ingredients, while initiating a balance of spontaneity combined with time and preferences of the individual making the cheese, yogurt, or kefir. One can see this reflected in the patchwork of different cultures across the world having their own traditional methods of fermenting milk, thus bestowing on the rest of us gifts of unique sorts of cheese, yogurt, and kefir that are indigenous to a specific environment. One such example of this is by using specially adapted starter cultures from France to recreate the cave-loving cheeses that so many of us love to indulge in during a summer picnic!

Click here for Sandor's yogurt-making instructions.

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NOURISHED KITCHEN: Stewed Strawberries With Vanilla and Fresh Mint #springsweetness

Here at Ashevillage we are enjoying the spring bounty from the garden, which includes an abundance of strawberries and mint. We can't wait to try this delicious recipe from Jenny McGruther at Nourished Kitchen - and we're thrilled to be hosting Jenny for a weeklong workshop in August!

INGREDIENTS

2 pints strawberries
1/4 cup jaggery (or other sweetener)
1 vanilla bean
2 heaping tablespoons chopped fresh mint

INSTRUCTIONS

Take a sharp paring knife, and hull the strawberries by slicing away their green leaves. Then chop the strawberries into 1/2-inch pieces.
Toss the strawberries into a medium-sized saucepan, and crumble the jaggery over them. Take the vanilla bean and a sharp paring knife, and cut a slit down its length to expose its seeds. Place the vanilla bean into the saucepan with the strawberries and jaggery. Turn the stove to medium-low. Allow the strawberries to stew in the sugar until they release their juices, and those juices turn syrupy - about 15 minutes.
Turn off the stove. Pluck out the vanilla bean, and scrape its seeds into the strawberries. Stir in the chopped mint, allowing a minute or 2 for the mint to wilt in the residual heat of the strawberries. Serve warm.

Click here for details. LEARN with Jenny in person this August in Asheville at the Nourished Kitchen Workshop. SAVE $225 in June!
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KITCHEN WITCHIN': Herbal Finishing Salts from Juliet Blankespoor #medicinefromtheearth

Lemon-White Sage Finishing Salt from Juliet's Blog Castenea: If you haven’t tried white sage (Salvia apiana, Lamiaceae) as a culinary herb, you are in for a real treat. It is similar to its kissing cousin, garden sage, but more intense in flavor. If you don’t have white sage on-hand, try freaking out. Alternately, you can substitute garden sage. Like garden sage, white sage’s pungent, resinous flavor complements fatty foods. Indeed, our taste buds may be speaking for our stomachs in this department, as sage is one of the best culinary herbs for enhancing the digestion of fats through stimulating bile. Try this finishing salt in stuffing, along with black pepper and anise seeds. Meatloaf, poultry and baked roots are all enhanced by this blend. Makes about 1 cup.

15 grams (1 handful) white sage leaves, whole
1 cup coarse pink Himalayan salt
2 tablespoons lemon zest

Blend and dry on sheets, as described here.

Click here for details. LEARN with Juliet in person this August in Asheville at the Nourished Kitchen Workshop. SAVE $225 in June!
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Wanted: Work traders - details and application here.

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EARLY BIRD SPECIALS

NOURISHED KITCHEN WORKSHOP WITH JENNY McGRUTHER: Save $225 in June!

Learn hands-on, traditional techniques for a healthy, sustainable, and balanced life. Gain take-home knowledge of modern homesteading practices, age-old natural remedies, and how to safely forage for wild herbs, mushrooms, and other powerfully potent plants. Jenny will guide you in daily hands-on cooking classes, demonstrations, how-to techniques, and lectures on the health-enhancing powers of traditional foods. Along with Jenny, four of Asheville’s top homesteading and natural food experts will take you on field excursions to discover, taste, and learn how to how to create your own nourished kitchen and farm-to-table life. Dates: August 16-22 Details: www.ashevillage.org/nourished-kitchen-workshop

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WOMEN, FOOD & DESIRE WORKSHOP WITH ALEX JAMIESON: Save $556 in June!

This transformational workshop is led by bestselling author, functional nutrition coach, and chef, Alex Jamieson. Along with Alex, some of Asheville’s top teachers, natural healers, and conscious cooks will take you on excursions to explore, concoct, and connect with your body and how to meet your desires in a way that serves your well being. In this workshop you will learn about the core of your desires, detoxing your system, feeding your cravings, healing your relationship with food, and embracing your body. If you love pleasure and food, you will gain life-long wisdom in this week-long retreat. Dates: December 6-12 Details: www.ashevillage.org/WFD

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COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS

TONIGHT: FOX AND BEGGAR THEATER PRESENTS Tarocco, A Soldier's Tale

The Italian tradition of Comedia dell’arte comes alive in Tarocco: A Soldier’s Tale, a mesmerizing fusion of circus arts, dance, mask-and-puppet theater, original music, elaborate costumes, and intricate set pieces, all wrapped in a provocative and hard-hitting narrative. Tarocco tells the story of an Italian WWI infantryman, trapped behind enemy lines after barely escaping the gas attacks at Caporetto. Ashevillage is proud to be a co-sponsor. Read more & get tickets.

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GRATITUDE TO OUR SPONSORS
Learn about sponsorship opportunities here.

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